Improvement in nut-crackers



I'. A. HUMPHREY. 'Nut-Cracker,

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Paten-ted May 28, 1878.

UNITED ,STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

FRANK A. HUMPEREY, on WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IlV-IPROVEMENT IN NUT-CRACKERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 204.225, dated May 28,1878 application filed April 8, 1878.

.To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK A. HUMPIIREY of Worcester, in the county ofWorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Nut-Crackers and I declare the following to be adescription of my said invention suciently full, clear, and exact toenable others skilled in the' art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specication, and in which- Figure l is a side view of myimproved nutcracker. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same,and Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the lower portion.

My invention consists in a nut-cracker made in the form of an animal,and arranged for crushing the nut by movement of the forepaws toward thehead when depressing the tail as a lever, substantially as hereinafterdescribed, the same' being an improved article of manufacture.

In the drawings, A denotes the frame or body, made in the shape of ananimal sitting upon its haunches, with its tail B curved upward alongits back, in the manner illustrated. Said body A is formed of a thinshell of cast metal, and mounted upon a suitable baseer.

pedestal, C, to which it is, in the present instance, secured byinclined spurs a and a clamp-bolt, b.

The lower rear portion of the body is made with inner side-recessed lugsd d, into which fit trunnions c c, cast upon the sides of the tail-pieceB, (see Fig. 3,) said trunnions forming the fulcrum or pivot on whichthe tail B can swing as a lever for operating the crusher mechanism.

The lower part of the tail-piece is rounded off to form theoperating-cam Bl, the same be'- ing formed laterally narrow, so as toWork in the slot or space between the recessed lugs d d at the lowerpart of the frame, while the metal to give form or outer contour to thetail at its lower part B2 is cast lwith the body A, as L indicated.

By lifting the tail vertically the trunnions cv may be unseated or freedfrom their recesses,

and the tail separated from the body, if de- Sired.

E denotes the fore paws or arms, which are formed as in the act ofholding an acorn and leaf, El. and which serve as the crusher-jaw. Saidarm-piece E is pivoted through the shoulder at f, and extends downward,as at E2, within the body A, into a position to be acted upon by the camB1. v

A spring, G, attached to the front of the frame A and pressing againstthe lower part of lever E2, serves to hold said lever against the camB1, and to keep the tail-lever B in elevated position.

The corrugated surface of the leaf El forms one of the crusher-jaws,while the under part of the animals head A', or corrugated chin, formsthe other part of the crusher.

The operation of cracking the nut is effected by placing the nut at I,then, by depressing the tail, the fore paws (or lever) E s'win g thecorrugated surface upward toward the snout A', and crush the nut againstthe snout orv chin, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

In the present instance. the nut-cracker is made in the form of asquirrel, that being considered the most appropriate and best form; butI do not desire to confine myself to the form of a squirrel, since otherequivalent animal forms might be employed without departing from thespirit of my invention.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The nut cracker device made in the form of a squirrel sitting upon hishaunches, and arranged for crushing a nut placed beneath the snout orchin by upward movement ofthe forepaws, resultant from downward pressureor action of the tail, substantially as herein set forth.

Witness my hand this 5th day of April, A. D. 1878.

FRANK A. HUMPHREY.

